Falling leaves.
Is it really mid November already? Time is moving at the speed of light. Teachers plan their lives by the school calendar; I’m no exception. It’s six weeks until Christmas and eight months till I move.
Instead of looking forward to baking and wrapping gifts, I’ve got ants in my pants to travel. I don’t want any gifts this year. The fewer possessions I have, the better. I’ve almost sold all my bakeware, so muffins and Bundt cakes and dessert loafs are a thing of the past. I’ve gotten rid of all my fall and Christmas decorations. I don’t have any wrapping paper or bows. No ceramic pumpkins. No turkey platters. No wreaths, Christmas lights or space heaters. For the most part, the gifts I give will be from the collection of objects I still have in my home.
This holiday season I will be visiting my daughter in California. We are both committed to maintaining a close relationship, but this year will be a pivotal one for each of us. She will be graduating from college in the spring to begin a new, exciting chapter of her life. I will be attending the last graduation ceremony at my current school before I cast off from the pier and push myself out into the wild, blue yonder.
As I walked home from school one day this week, a Lenny Kravitz song popped in my head and I want to share some of the lyrics with you. The song is called, “Fly Away”. It perfectly describes my feelings this week.
I wish that I could fly
Into the sky
So very high
Just like a dragonfly
I’d fly above the trees
Over the seas in all degrees
To anywhere I please
Oh I want to get away
I want to fly away
Yeah yeah yeah . . .
I am walking toward this goal of flight with a quiet force. I don’t talk about it much, but I think about it, and research it, all the time. The past few days I have anticipated making art again – in my new place. I’m so excited about the inspiration that awaits me: new architecture, new landscape, new people! I think my artwork is going to explode like it has when I’ve visited France, England and Turkey! I can’t wait to see what bubbles forth! Where will place be for me? Oh, I’m aching to know! I have now sent out a total of 33 applications! Good grief. This is more than the cumulative amount of applications I have ever sent out throughout my entire lifetime! In the dictionary, place means a portion of space available or designated for or being used by someone. Even though I sometimes doubt, I know that there is some space available and designated to be used by me – out there.
Where is your place? Have you found it yet?
